Coming Home To You
by Evelyn Wood
Summary: Gale has no place to truly call home. He lives in 2 where Madge is alive, and she and Gale have become really close friends over the years. However, they are brought closer due to a twist of fate where Madge finds out she is pregnant. *This is a Gadge story*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not in any way own _The Hunger Games_ trilogy, they all belong to Suzanne Collins. You know what belongs to her. Everything else belongs to me.

This is a story (all about how, my life got flipped, turned upside down. lol jk) I have had in my head and I thought I would start it out. I'll probably alternate between my stories each week. I'll try to update both in one week, but absolutely no promises. I have another story in the making too, but it is a very complicated story that I'm having trouble with. A lot of things need to connect and connect well, so I have to figure all of that out. That might make an appearance soon too. Either way I will move from one story to another in hopes that I don't get writer's block.

This story will alternate POV from Gale to Madge. Though I'm pretty sure there are a few times where chapters of Gale's POV will appear twice, it will mostly alternate. However, I will tell you at the beginning of each chapter.

*Note about the Summary: This is a Gadge story. I didn't add too much in the summary because I don't want to give anything away. Please stick with this story and trust me, you will find out how this story will work soon enough.

I think that is it so enjoy!

* * *

Gale POV

Chapter 1

Life wasn't like it was. I used to dream of a place where I didn't have to live in fear of being Reaped. Where I didn't have to worry about starving. Where I didn't have to worry about my family.

A safe place.

In that place I would have a good job. No, not just good, a respectable job. One where I was one of the top. I wouldn't have to answer to anyone. And where I got paid a large amount of money. My family would be set for life. Ma, Rory, Vick, and Posy. Maybe I, too, would have a family of my own.

I would be happy.

Funny how life gives you all of the things that you wanted, and you still weren't happy.

The new government took over and, thanks to Katniss, no more Reapings. People weren't starving, or if they were, the new government was working on helping them get food and shelter. While my family was safe in 12 and set for life.

My job as one of the top generals in the military got me loads of money. There were very few people I had to work under, otherwise I was the boss. My pay check was large enough to split in half, giving fifty percent to Ma and the kids, and still have money to spare.

But, I wasn't happy.

I lost many friends to the war, not all of them deaths. Katniss no longer wanted to speak to me, and I didn't blame her. Rory, too, didn't want to see my face.

That is why I stayed in 2. I didn't particularly want to, but it was the only place that I could truly feel welcome.

12 wasn't home anymore. Not because of the people not wanting me there. There were plenty who still did and asked for me to come back, if not to stay, at least to visit. Ma. Vick. Posy. Thom. Even Greasy Sae asked about me on occasion. But it wasn't that. There were too many memories in a place that wasn't there anymore. I had set foot there once after the bombing to do the filming for the Mockingjay promotions, and I never wanted to return again.

The only thing still from 12 that was in my life was Madge. She had been in the Capitol for a recital when the bombs hit 12. The third body that was found in her house that everyone thought was her was actually her mother's maid.

The Capitol found out about Madge being in the city and took her for information. But she didn't know anything. Madge's father had made sure she was kept out of the Rebellion for as long as he could. He thought sending her to play the piano in the Capitol would keep her and the district safe, by showing that they were still loyal. But his plan didn't work.

Madge was freed when the Rebel forces opened the cells at the Capitol. The President was planning to keep her healthy and try to use her as bait or ransom. However, we had moved too quickly for him to do anything so she was relatively unharmed.

The first time that I bumped into Madge was at the hospital in 2 where she was being examined for anything the Capitol may have put in her or done to her. They found a tracking device injected into her arm and was told to come back multiple times for multiple tests to be sure there was nothing else. I was in to check on a friend who had been shot in the arm during a fight in the northern part of the district.

She noticed me first and before she could approach me she was pressed to the wall by one of my bodyguards. I immediately recognized her and had him set her free. We had become somewhat friends during Katniss' time in the Hunger Games and when I thought she was dead I did feel sad for her loss.

But here she was, alive. We caught up and soon became very close. I had helped her to get a job working in intelligence, but she didn't end up liking the job. Instead she chose a job at a local town in the library, which after a long time of not seeing her, is where I was heading.

To me, she, and the other few friends that I had, was a sort of home.

Ma used to say, "Home is where the heart is. It isn't always a place. Sometimes it's a person, or people, or things."

"What is home to you?" One of us Hawthorne children would ask every time.

"Home is all of my children," she would answer with a loving smile.

It was questionable as to where my heart was, seeing as it felt like I didn't have one anymore. But I knew that where I wasn't the most miserable was with my friends in 2. They always made me feel welcome, alive, and, dare I say, happy. It was the only place that I could laugh without feeling completely burdened or smile without feeling completely guilty.

If that was what having a heart and feeling happy was, then I guess I was in the right place.

I walked into the library and nodded to the batty, old crone of a librarian who always sat at the checkout. Mod forever had a sour face for anyone who wasn't under the age of twelve. Even sweet people like Madge couldn't bring a smile to her face. It was only the children of district 2 who could bring just the smallest of smiles to her lips.

"Remember this is a library, Mr. Hawthorne," she growled as I passed by, ignoring my military title completely.

My response was a tight lipped smile as I walked past. I flew down the aisle, looking for the sight of long blonde hair between each set of bookcases. I finally found her towards the back of the library putting away books from a book truck.

A smile grew on my lips at the sight of her, but I didn't want her knowing that I was there just yet. I walked down the aisle as smoothly as I could, bringing my hunting skills into action. As I got closer I could hear her humming lightly as she put away books.

She went to put away a book that was just out of her reach when I said in a deep voice, "Hey there, beautiful. Need some help?"

I watched as she froze and let out an annoyed sigh before turning towards me with a fake smile on her face. She must have thought it was some random jerk hitting on her. But that fake grin turned into a real one once she recognized who it was.

"Gale!" She gasped in surprise. She dropped the book down on the truck and ran into my chest, throwing her arms around me in the process. "Oh my god! I'm so glad you're safe. I've missed you, when did you get back?"

"Shush!" A loud, gravelly voice came from the side of the library. Old Mod must have followed me, knowing we would get loud.

I decided to ignore her and Madge's stage whispered apology, and hugged the woman in my arms back. It was over a month since I last saw her so she at least deserved a hug.

I breathed in the familiar sent of strawberries. "Hey Madge."

She pulled out of my embrace and smacked me on the arm lightly. "You big jerk. I was worried, not hearing from you once the whole time you were gone. I didn't even know when you would be back."

"Well, we had a lot of work to do and we didn't know how long it would take."

She laughed. "I know. But it would have been nice to hear from you to know you're alive."

"Can't get rid of me that easily," I responded with a wink.

I was rewarded with a scoff and a roll of the eyes. "Your winks don't work on me, mister. Would it hurt to pick up a phone and call, or at least apologize for once?"

"Just thinking about it make me cringe."

"Oh Gale, you're such a child."

Madge laughed at my frown as she went back to the task at hand. She picked up the book she previously had and stood on her tip toes to try to put the book in its place.

I watched her struggle to reach the shelf for a bit before finally saying, "Need some help?"

"No, I can do it myself."

My eyebrow rose, "And I'm the child?"

She huffed, "If I can't reach it, then I can get the step ladder, that's all I'm saying."

"I can get it for you," I offered, grabbing the book from her hand and putting it in the open space of the shelf. "See?"

She gave me a quick smile as a thank you, but then sighed. "I know, but I have other ones on the truck that are much higher that even your six foot four frame can't reach."

"Well, with your five foot eight inches plus my six foot four, we should be able to reach it right?"

She looked at me in confusion before she realized what I was implying. I took a step towards her, but she matched mine with a step back. It only made me grin.

"Come on, Madge." I took another step forward.

"No," she said with a blush, stepping back.

"It's not like you'd have to balance or stand on my shoulders. You'd just sit there." Another step forward.

"No." Another step back.

Before we could repeat our tango I lunged forward and grabbed her around the waist. She squeaked really loudly, which resulted in another shush. Madge clamped her hands over her mouth while I playfully frowned at her.

"You heard the old lady. Now shush."

I placed the blonde woman so that she was facing the bookshelf as I crouched down behind her. Then, I pulled lightly at her hips, encouraging her to sit on one of my shoulders.

"I swear, Hawthorne, if you drop me," she threatened with a whisper as she warily sat down. I had to roll my eyes at that feeble threat.

As soon at her butt hit my shoulder, I stood up. She let out another loud squeak, again resulting in another scolding. But this time she was up and steady on my shoulder, supported by my arm.

"Okay, I'll pass you the books and you tell me where to go."

She huffed lightly, but relented telling me the books on the top shelf of the trolley all needed to go up top. We worked together quickly, talking about my work as well as what she had been up to. We both are better listeners than speakers, except for things we are passionate about, but we'd been friends for so long it wasn't hard to find something to talk about.

A half an hour later, we'd gotten all of the books from the top shelves back up. I slowly kneeled down to let her off of my shoulder and she turned around with a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Gale."

"It wasn't a problem, though I think you owe me a massage now. My shoulder is sore, have you gained weight?"

Her mouth fell open in shock as her cheeks went bright red and she smacked me on the arm. "Gale Hawthorne! How dare you! Didn't your mother ever tell you never to talk about a woman's weight? What would your mother say?"

I laughed, loving to get her all flustered. "I think she'd beat me before she said anything."

"As she should!" She joined in my laughing and then added playfully, "And you better get up, or my husband might get the wrong idea."

"Why might I get the wrong idea?" a voice from the end of the aisle asked in confusion that quickly changed to mock anger. "Hawthorne, you better not be proposing to my wife!"

I turned to see my friend, and occasional bodyguard, Milo Bana with a playful, angry look on his face. He was still in his uniform, so he must have just got back like me.

"Milo!" Madge gasped as she ran into the arms of her husband. "I spoke your name and you're here, like magic," She cooed before she gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Or like the devil," I said sarcastically as I stood up, making Madge laugh and Milo frown.

"Funny Hawthorne," he responded before bringing his full attention to his wife. "And how has my sexy librarian been?"

"Really Milo?" She laughed, blushing prettily. "Kind of tired, but I've been good, just working. Waiting for my handsome men to come back, like usual."

"Hey! Don't put your husband on the same level as another man."

"The truth hurts," I interjected as I approached the couple. Madge pulled out of Milo's arms, with a roll of her eyes, to allow me to give him a quick hug. "Good to see you back man. You were gone for longer than me."

"A month and a half, yeah. I'm so glad to be back. I've missed everyone. Hanging around with all of those Capitol citizens is too much. They're too much."

"Bodyguard for General Powell I'm assuming?"

"Yeah. You know how he loves to be the face of the new government and socialize at all the peace-making parties since you won't take it anymore. Man, it was better being a bodyguard for you. All he wants to do is party and have sex with random Capitol women. Doesn't he realize we guard his room? I do not want to hear-"

"I'll leave you two alone," Madge interrupts. "It looks like you have come catching up to do and I still have a few hours of work. Plus, Mod looks like she is about to pop a blood vessel."

We all turn to see Mod with a huge frown on her face. Her wrinkles only seem to emphasize the intensity of her disapproval. "Out in fifteen minutes or I will call the cops on you for loitering."

"Yes, Ms. Mod," everyone said in harmony as she scuttled back to the front. No one knew her last name, or if she even had one.

"Fifteen minutes, just enough time for a quickie Madge," Milo said and wiggled his eyebrows.

I took that as my cue to exit. "I'll meet you outside."

Heading out, I laughed as Madge went beat red and punched him in the arm. She pushed him jokingly aside so she could wave goodbye to me. However, the blonde only got to two shakes before she was swiftly pulled back into the aisle by Milo's tan arms.

I chuckled at the amusing couple. Madge needed a fun guy like Milo in her life. They were a prefect balance of each other. I was glad they were together, though meeting under odd circumstances. Having two of my best friends under the same roof was convenient as well.

As I approached the front I saw the old crone standing near the phone with her eyes on the clock. She finally noticed me and narrowed her eyes in discontent. Remembering my upbringing, I nodded to Mod, who huffed at me, before I headed outside to wait for Milo.

The cold February air slapped me in the face and I was not a happy camper. Next time, I'll have to be sure to make Mod really infuriated to satisfy me. But for now, I really hoped Milo was joking and would be out here pronto.

* * *

**Author's Note**: So many 'm' names. I'm sorry! I didn't realize that I used that many until I started writing. I had chose the names as I was writing and now I'm attached.

What do you think? Anything you expected or did not expect? I'm hoping you were a little surprised they aren't married.

Predictions, critiques, suggestions, or comments are all accepted and encouraged! Please leave a review. Thanks so much!


	2. Chapter 2

Madge POV

Chapter 2

"Madge! Where is my shirt?"

"I told you, it's in your closet," I yelled from the kitchen to my husband on the second floor for the second time. I turned to give Gale an apologetic look, but he didn't seem to notice as he read the newspaper and drank his coffee.

"It's not here!"

"Look again," I said and shook my head. We'd lived with each other for over half a year, you would think that he'd figure out I color coordinated his closet by now. "And Gale is here, can we not yell to each other like barbarians?"

"Like I give a shit."

This earned a chuckle from Gale who set down the paper to look at me. "Really Madge. I've been here enough times, you don't need to act with formalities around me."

I huffed even though it was true. Gale would come over for breakfast almost every time he was back in District 2. Even before Milo and I got married and bought a house, we'd all come together and have breakfast in one of our apartments. It was a tradition that no one wanted to break.

"Scrambled?"

Gale, who had just picked up his coffee to drink, paused and raised his eyebrow. "You're cooking?"

I sighed in exasperation. "Yes! I am cooking. I will not burn them I promise."

He chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee, "Don't make promises you can't keep."

I quickly grabbed a towel and threw it at him. But I didn't get the satisfaction of hitting him because he caught it with one hand like it was nothing. Jerk.

"Yes, scrambled is fine," He said. "Want me to make some bacon?"

Normally the thought of bacon made my mouth water, but today it made me want to hurl. I knew if he started to cook it that just the smell would make me sick. "I don't think my stomach can handle it today. Let's just do scrambled eggs and toast."

He gave me a look, but nodded in agreement. Just then Milo burst in through the doorway in his button up green shirt. I loved that shirt on him, it really brought out his bright green eyes.

"Found it!" He announced like he accomplished a great feat.

"Congratulations, where did you find it?" I said flatly while I broke some eggs into a bowl.

He paused before he answered, "In the closet."

"Shocker," Gale said grabbing his coffee again.

"Hey! Whenever I put my clothes away they never are where I left them. Madge just _has_ to have her system, which makes absolutely no sense by the way."

"I color coordinate your button up shirts and dress shirts in the closet, Milo. I've told you a thousand times. Dress pants and blazers are the same way. Your socks and underwear are in the top drawer of your dresser. T-shirts and undershirts under that. Long sleeves under that. And your jeans are at the bottom. How hard is that to remember?"

"I know all that, but I can never find the specific one that I need."

I rolled my eyes and decided not to argue. It was better to just let it go. Otherwise Milo would want to drag it out until he won or it turned into something bigger than it was. He was stubborn like that.

It seemed Milo had the same idea as me because he changed the subject. "Gale, did you let my wife near the stove? You know that causes trouble."

"Oh my gosh, I'm not that bad." I turned to see Gale and Milo exchange a look. "I'm not!"

They both started laughing, which caused me to pout. Just because I usually overcooked the food, forgot an ingredient, or almost caused a fire did not mean I was a bad cook. I was just not talented in that area of life. Plus, I was getting better. I hadn't started a fire in over three months and I always triple checked the recipes now to be sure that I didn't miss anything.

Unlike Gale and Milo, who grew up in families that taught them how to cook, I did not. The only thing that I would do whenever the maid cooked was peel the vegetables or bring over the ingredients. The one time I got to cook I ended up burning my hand. It was completely my fault, but the maid got scolded for it and half of her paycheck was cut that week. After that, I didn't cook until I had to learn to live on my own.

On my own...

That sobering thought reminded me that my parents were gone from this world. Passed away, resting in peace, dead. I had no family any more. Both were killed, no, murdered in the bombing of the District. They were the first to go.

And me? I was left in the Capitol, alone, in a clean white jail cell, to rot. It was too white, too clean, too lonely. Even when released I had no one and no where to turn to. It was all so suffocating.

A warm touch to my arm brought me back to reality. Milo was standing in front of me, looking concerned while Gale had got up from the table to move over to me. I hadn't realized that I had let my face slip, but when it did the boys must have known something was wrong.

"You okay, Madge?" Gale asked, rubbing my shoulders before Milo pulled me away from the stove and into his arms.

I allowed Milo's warmth to envelop me before I answered softly, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

"You sure?" Milo asked, pulling away to look at me.

I noticed a stray brown lock that had fallen out of place, so I brushed it back with the others and examined my husband's face. When I was growing up, I had always been attracted to the boys from the Seam over the boys from Town. Their dark coloring was always so intriguing and beautiful to me while the pale blondes were so plain. Gale, of course, was my first crush. He was very handsome even when young. But as we grew up, I started to like other guys from the Seam. Aspen, Thom, Rowan. They were all forbidden to me, which was part of the appeal I believe. However, with the war over, I could finally go after them.

But I didn't want them any more. I didn't want any man in my life. When I was taken in by the Capitol I was verbally, physically, and sexually abused by men. I didn't get anything near as bad as most who got tortured or maimed. However, it was enough to make me never want to trust a man again.

Yet, here I was. With a man, dark and handsome, and in love.

"Yes. I'm fine," I said, running my fingers through his wavy brown locks and getting lost in his green eyes.

Memories of our times together flowed through my head, including how we met, by him slamming me into the wall of the District 2 hospital. I had only called out to Gale once when I found myself against the wall with my arm pulled straight back. It was so painful, my arm felt like it was twisted out of its socket and snapped in half. However, Gale immediately recognized me and told him to stop before any real damage was done.

Though not as tall as Gale, his body was large, all muscle, and I was completely scared of him. He reminded me of the men from the Capitol. Although, he didn't look like them in the least, his forcefulness and brutality upon first meeting me made me skittish.

Milo was really apologetic and tried multiple times to break my shell while he worked with Gale. But it wasn't until after I left intelligence and Milo was reassigned that I allowed him into my life. Gale brought him around when we went for drinks, or brought me around him and his friends from work, where I saw him casually and in a different light. I found he was a joker, a gentleman, a protector, and ultimately a great lover. It wasn't long before I fell in love.

Reality swam back into vision as he leaned down and kissed me softly on the mouth. I kissed him back and allowed his feelings to flow into me. His feelings of worry, comfort, and love ran through my body down to my toes, making me feel so, so safe and happy.

Now, I did have a family. And it was him.

"Mhmmm, you taste good, and you smell good too. How do you always smell like strawberries?" He asked as he leaned down to kiss my exposed collar bone.

"It's a secret," I whispered, though it was totally the perfume and shampoo that I used. You'd think he would have figured that out by now too, but sometimes I liked to leave him in the dark. I had to keep him tempted, so I can't tell him all of my techniques.

"I could just eat you up," he groaned as he started to suck on my pale flesh.

I felt myself start to get turned on and through the fabric of my skirt, it felt like he was too. But Gale was here, and this was not okay to do in front of him, at all. We'd both promised not to publicly display our affections in front of anyone; that was just not appropriate.

"No, off lover-boy." I wedged my arms between his chest and mine to try to push him away, but I found he held me fast and continued his exploration. This made me growl with anger, "Milo."

The next thing I knew I was up in the air, making me squeak, and plopped unceremoniously on the table. His green eyes burrowed hungrily into mine as he straddled me with his large arms and leaned in close, "Come on Madge, let's make a baby."

He moved in to kiss me and, though I was tempted, I knew we had to stop. In one smooth motion, I covered his mouth with my hands and lifted my foot up to his crotch. "Hold it right there mister, or there will be no babies for you in the future, ever." His eyebrows scrunched together in anger and I gave him a victorious smile. However he, the stubborn man that he was, would not let me win and licked my hand in spite before walking away. "Ew! Milo! Gale, why did you let me marry this brute?"

Gale, who was chuckling the whole time at our antics, finally let out a full laugh. "No way you can blame that on me. You two were the ones who decided to date and get married. I just watched the hilarity ensue."

As I passed by him to wash my hands, I stuck my tongue out at him playfully, "Meanie. And I was supposed to make the eggs, remember?"

He shrugged as he scraped around the last of the eggs in the frying pan, "You guys seemed busy and I was hungry. So might was well eat while being entertained right?"

"Ha ha," I said humorlessly as I went to help by putting bread in the toaster.

The phone rang from the hallway and I moved to get it when Milo answered the phone. After waiting a moment, I didn't hear him call for me, so it must have been for him. A pit formed in my stomach the longer he stayed on the phone. For some reason, I had a feeling it was about work. A part of me felt a little hurt that they would call so soon after he just got back, but I knew it was part of the job.

"So are you two really trying for a baby?" Gale asked as he dished the remaining scrambled eggs onto a plate.

I blushed, absolutely mortified that Milo said that and Gale caught it, "Well, I mean, we, um- we've talked about it. But we aren't actively trying. It-It's one of those things where if it happens, it happens."

Gale laughed at my awkwardness, "No need to get all riled up, Madge. It's not like I'm asking about intimate details of your sex life, please keep them to yourselves. I was just being a curious friend, wondering if you two were actually trying for a baby or not. Either way I'd support you, but I just wanted to know."

I nudged him lightly and smiled, he always knew how to rile me up and calm me down. "No, not actively, but if it happens then it wouldn't be unwelcome. However if it does, Milo _really_ wants a boy."

"Uh oh, that's not good, that means he's going to end up with all girls," he laughed, which made me chuckle.

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?" he raised his eyebrow at me playfully, which I jokingly returned. We held each other's stares for a bit, neither breaking eye contact, before bursting into laughter. Gale smiled before adding, "Well, either way, good luck. If you need help with a baby now, or in the future, let me know. I'll help you out. I know a thing or two about babies." He finished with a wink.

Remembering he grew up the oldest of three siblings, I realized he actually would know a lot about raising children. Better than myself, an only child, and Milo, the youngest. Plus, I knew he had to do a lot by himself, with just his mom to take care of the family after his father died, so he definitely would be a big help.

"Thanks," I said sincerely.

Familiar arms grabbed me around the waist and swung me away from Gale. Sometimes I wondered if I was a sac of potatoes, the way Milo would throw me around sometimes. My husband held me close as he poked Gale in the chest and said, "I hope you don't mean 'helping' by having sex with my wife."

Gale and I laughed at his amazing timing. Even as I shook my head at him, I had a smile on my face, "Really, Milo?"

"Shush woman, I'm defending your honor," he said as he kissed me on the cheek and sat me down in the chair closest to him.

"And what if I did?" Gale asked with a devilish smirk, setting the scrambled eggs down on the table as he took his own seat.

"Not while I'm alive!" Milo playfully threatened as he puffed out his chest. He then grabbed a piece of toast and held it like he was wielding a sword. "You'll have to fight me to the death!"

"Hmmm," Gale pretended to chew on the matter as he munched on his eggs. After swallowing, he shook his head. "Nah. Too much work."

I laughed at their exchange, which earned me a toothy smile from Gale and a victorious one from Milo.

"Good. Besides, you'd lose. I'm just too handsome and strong," he said as he held out his arm for me and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I giggled and squeezed his rock hard biceps. "Ooo, so strong," I jokingly gushed to appease him.

"You know it baby," he said before giving me a quick kiss and then diving into the food.

Breakfast was fun with playful banter between Milo and Gale, sometimes at my expense. I stayed mostly quiet as they talked, preferring to listen rather than join in. They were always more talkative than myself, especially Milo, but Gale was sure to get me involved when he could. He was always considering his friends, whatever he was doing.

When I had first run into Gale, I thought that he wouldn't want to speak to me. But I guess our time spent together while Katniss and Peeta were in the games had changed his mind because he welcomed me with open arms. Gale didn't let many people into his circle, but if you were, then you were there for life. I found that out the more time I spent with him. He was considerate to me and always trying to help me out. He really cared about doing what is right and helping those he loved.

We all finished breakfast and since Gale cooked, it was up to Milo and I to do the dishes. I decided to wash the plates and silverware, while Milo dried. As I handed Milo the first plate, he turned to me and said, "Remember the call from earlier?"

"Yes."

"Well it was to tell me I have to go to work this afternoon as a body guard for General Powell and a few others."

A small sigh escaped my lips; I knew it. "So soon? You just got back."

He scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, it's an unscheduled mission that we need to take care of quickly. I can't give you all of the details, confidential. They couldn't even give them to me over the phone, but it doesn't seem like it should be too bad or take too long."

"Actually I'm on that mission too," Gale spoke up from the table. "I got a few additional details, but, again, they're confidential. However, like Milo said, it shouldn't be too bad or take too long. We just have to be sure to do things right and fast, which is why we're leaving today."

I chewed on my bottom lip, nervous because it was rare for them to have an urgent mission. They hadn't had one in a while. The last one that I remember was while Milo and I were still dating. They were back within a week but they told me afterward that it was a dangerous escaped convict that they needed to get a hold of quickly. No one got hurt, but still.

"It... It's not like last time, is it?" I asked.

Milo gave me a questioning look, but Gale must have remembered because he spoke up, "We aren't supposed to tell you that Madge." Though he gave me the answer by shaking his head while he spoke.

I felt a little more relieved, "Okay. Well either way, you two should be careful."

"Careful is my middle name," Milo said.

"Yeah right! More like reckless."

"Never," smiled Milo, giving me a peck on the cheek as he put the last plate away. He then turned to Gale and said, "I'm kind of excited. It will be just like old times, you and me and Troy. Powell and a few other jerks will be there, but as long as us three are there, we've got this. I've missed working with you and him."

"Yea, it will be nice to work with you and the big guy again. And make sure to only call them jerks behind their backs and not to their faces, okay?"

Milo let out a booming laugh that made me jump, "That only happened once!"

"And we both know how that ended."

"Yup! Couldn't see out of my left eye for a week."

"Well you shouldn't have called General Bear an actual bear."

"Milo!" I admonished, never knowing that he did that.

Milo shrugged, "What? He deserved it for being a big ass."

"Then you deserved the punch," I said.

"Never said I didn't deserve it."

"He probably deserves more than that for all he's said," Gale snickered.

I shook my head at the men as I walked out of the room. My bladder was killing me and I thought I'd better get Milo's uniform out because there was no way he would find it without me. If he couldn't find his shirt in the front of the closet, there was no way he could find the uniform in the corner.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the lackluster ending. I didn't want to make it too long and figured this was a good spot to end.

Now you have a little background about Madge and Gale's relationship, as well as Madge and Milo's. I can't reveal everything about their pasts because they aren't important, or will soon be revealed. Ooo mystery. Isn't that fun?

Believe me, this will be a Gadge story. I can't give you all of the details because I don't believe in giving away what will happen, at least with this story. I might give a hint here and there. Like this one: here is a little something, next chapter is Gale's POV! I feel like a troll writing that... all well! Heart you guys!

Suggestions, criticism, comments, or predictions? Please leave your thoughts in a review! I love reading them and they are great motivation.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Sorry! It's been a long time since I updated, but it's summer so I'm doing fun stuff. But I also got an internship, I write for a blog, and I have a research project with my school. So I'm trying! However, I have good news. Along with this chapter the next one should be up really soon because I'm almost done it and I've kept you waiting a long time so I owe you. Woo hoo!

* * *

Gale POV

Chapter 3

The mission that I couldn't tell Madge about was a tip on an uprising in the northern region of the District, close to the Capitol. An anonymous, but reliable source said that they heard of a group of Peacekeepers that were secretly meeting to plan their own rebellion. We had to go in quickly to subdue them before they took action and started something bigger than we could handle.

Overall, there was a lot of talking and compromising rather than actual suppressing, which was both good and bad. Good, because there was no need to fight; therefore, there were no deaths. A few disgruntled people had to be taken in for attempted assault, but other than that it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. Bad was mostly a personal reason. I hated long and boring talks, especially when I had to be one of the people talking.

Long before we went in, we officers and officials decided to speak with the rebels, rather than coming right out and attacking them. We wanted to be different than the Capitol's government. Our idea of government was one based on the people and compromise. Not the totalitarian ruling President Snow used so severely. Of course, not everyone can be happy, but we can at least strive for a level of contentment.

Through our lengthy discussion, a decision was finally made that worked for both parties. From the way that everyone spoke afterward, it seemed like things were okay. Former Peacekeepers were joking and laughing with men that represented the New Government like friends who hadn't seen each other in a long while.

"Great job, Gentlemen. I think we did a fine job here, don't you? Everyone was worried that this would start another war, but it just goes to show when people really sit down and listen to each other their 'large problem' is actually a small one," said General Powell to me and Colonel Troy Irvine, beside me.

With his bright blue hair and light pink suit, Lucent Powell was an eyesore, to put it nicely. I could never look directly at him because if I did I'd get a headache just from the sight. No matter how hard I tried, I could not take him seriously.

To avoid looking at him, I surveyed the area and just nodded in acknowledgment. Milo caught my eye behind General Powell and I saw him give the flamboyant man an exaggerated eye roll. He noticed me watching and continued by making a mocking face to the back of his blue head. It seemed to have caught Troy's attention as well because both he and I turned with a snicker, punching each other lightly in the arm to stop.

"How does Milo get away with it? I tried to reassign him, but Powell wouldn't have it. He thinks Milo's the best. How does he not know that Bana's always making fun of him behind his back," Troy sniggered.

I went to answer smartly, when Powell interrupted in a Capitol accent, "What are you two laughing about?"

Troy and I stopped immediately at his higher pitched voice. I felt a muscle in my cheek twitch with irritation before turning to reply to his made-up face.

His obsession with trying to be a Capitol citizen irked me to no end. Though Powell was a resident of District 2 all of his life, he'd put on a fake Capitol accent, that always went in and out, and dress in the latest fashion to look like a Capitol citizen. Anywhere, but the Capitol he stood out. Especially today, in the crowd of green uniforms, black suits, and white Peacekeeper uniforms, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

Which was probably what made him an easy target for the gunman behind him.

"Get down!" Troy yelled.

The curly blonde man saw the gunman before I did, but I reacted first and tackled Powell to the ground. I covered him with my body just as I heard a gun shot a few feet in front of me. Then my ears were filled with a cacophony of sounds as men shuffled around and yelled over each other.

When things seemed to die down, I finally decided to look up. Many men were on the ground, but some were still standing with their weapons drawn at the gunman in the middle of the room. Turning my head, I looked to the wall behind us and saw a bullet hole marring the stark white material. It looked like a clean shot, without any interruptions, so everyone must have gotten out of the way of the bullet. Good.

"Put the gun down!" Milo yelled as he stood diagonally across from the gunman. His own gun was aimed at the Peacekeeper's head, in case of any sudden movements.

"What's happening?" Powell asked from under me, his accent completely gone, leaving just his trembling voice.

"Shut it and stay down," I whispered harshly.

The blue haired man didn't need to be told twice as he covered his head with his arms and stuck to the ground like glue.

With him safe, I slowly got up and took out my own weapon to stand beside Milo. However, I didn't take aim because the gunman didn't seem to want to shoot again just yet. His finger wasn't even on the trigger. Instead, he seemed to be waiting; although, I wasn't sure what for.

It couldn't be for the Peacekeepers in the room to start fighting. Surprisingly, Peacekeepers that weren't on the ground were standing together, aiming their guns at the man with us. If I wasn't worried about what he was waiting for, I'd probably be proud that we got so far in such a short amount of time.

"Put the gun down!" Milo growled again.

"No," the Peacekeeper finally spoke in an eerily calm voice.

"If you don't put it down, I will shoot you."

This time his eyes flashed angrily. "Don't act so high and mighty, traitor." He then turned his head from side to side to look at everyone who was aiming weapons at him. "You're all traitors! President Snow and the Capitol were our leaders, not these pathetic excuses for men. We were doing just fine with the old government. We didn't need them to start a rebellion."

"Yes, we did. The Hunger Games were wrong. The strict control of districts were wrong. The sufferings of so many people were wrong. The manipulations of everyone and everything were all wrong. It all needed to be stopped. Useless killing and dying isn't a way to govern a country of people," said one of our General spokesmen in the eloquent way that he was so used to speaking. "Let's not have anymore. Put the weapon away, sir, and we can have a peaceful talk."

This time the Peacekeeper said nothing. Instead he went back to his previous action, his eyes shifting from side to side, still waiting. What was he waiting for? I had to figure it out before something bad happened.

"If you're waiting for your other men to get here they won't come," said Troy from behind me.

"What!?" The gunman screamed in fury.

"I just got a message that there was a small group of men who were attempting to come in. Apparently they were with you. Whatever plan you had, is gone because they were subdued by my soldiers. There's nothing else you can do. Now give up, or we will shoot."

"How do you know that?" he hissed.

Troy just gestured to his earpiece. His earpiece was what kept him updated with security. Being head of the bodyguards, Troy always had protection prepared in case there was an attack or emergency. He must have set up some men around the perimeter of the building and the room in case something happened. And a good thing he did.

With those words, our full attention was back on the gunman. We watched him like hawks, waiting for any sudden movements. However, he didn't do anything. He remained completely still.

Through my experience, stillness always lead to some sort of action. I just hoped it wasn't a bad one. Still, I lifted my gun to aim at the man, just in case.

Though subtle to the average human eye, my hunter's eye noticed his body tense. It was a fight or flight reaction, and when he didn't move to run, I knew he wanted to fight. To confirm my suspicious, his feet stayed firmly planted on the ground as he lifted his eyes to meet everyone's in the room. I stared in horror as his eyes changed from complete rage to totally insanity.

"Shoot!" I yelled as I watched the man's weaponed arm twitch in preparation for movement.

Within a second, the man's arm raised up to take aim. And that was when I shot. The bullet buried itself deep in the man's stomach, causing him to stumble back from the impact.

However, he wasn't done yet.

In a final attempt of an unreachable victory, he pulled his trigger finger and started firing wildly as he fell from the multiple shot wounds he acquired only a few seconds after mine. Bullets flew and ricocheted off the columns. Men's screams mixed with the sound of bullets as the flying metal met their mark.

The familiar screams of urgency and fear. The poignant smell of gun smoke. The distinct sound of the metal meeting flesh.

It all reminded me of the battle field I'd avoided for the past few years.

Memories of fighting flooded my mind. I could hear everything around me, but I could not see it. My eyes were filled with images from the battle field.

Pain. Fear. Blood. Gore. And finally, only death remained.

The jail that I had created from my mind finally broke when I felt a rush of wind by my side. It caused me to shiver from my neck to my feet. The effect was a total chilling sensation. Turning to see the source, I noticed Milo kneeling on the ground.

"Milo?"

He didn't look up at me when I called his name. Instead, he seemed to be concentrating hard on the ground. I looked to where he was staring and that's when I finally noticed a pool of blood accumulating around his knees. I was chilled to the core.

"Milo!"

I dropped to the ground and put my arm around his shoulders to support him as he started to fall even further. I didn't know whether to look at his body for wounds; or to talk to his paling face for comfort; or to search for someone for help; or anything. I didn't know what do to. I was at a loss.

My mind was going a mile a minute and I couldn't concentrate, so I attempted a combination of all three. "Milo, where are you shot? You'll be okay. Someone get a first aid kit! Milo's been shot."

A painful squeeze on my thigh made me bring my full attention to him. Our eyes met and his green ones reflected a hundred emotions back at me. Pain, fear, sorrow. I knew he was trying to communicate something else, but all I saw was his agony.

He finally gestured with his eyes down to his right for me to look. I could barely break eye contact. I didn't want to really, but I knew he was trying to get me to look, so I obeyed.

At first, my eyes couldn't comprehend what I was seeing, didn't want to comprehend it. Dark, red blood drenched his hand that was covering his neck. Why was his hand on his neck? That couldn't be where the bullet hit, could it? Why was blood pouring out through his fingers though, and so profusely?

And that's when I understood.

"Oh god," I whispered. My free hand hovered between his face and neck, unsure what to do or how to help. I looked him over hopelessly and asked, "What do I do? What do I do?"

Milo's answer was his eyes squeezing together in pain. I could only watch as his face got paler by the second. We both knew there was nothing we could do. He'd bleed out before anyone came. The neck had too many arteries. The bullet probably had hit his jugular.

I felt tears sting the back of my eyes at the realization of it all. I tried to hold them back, but they started to flow as Milo's grip loosened on me.

"Milo, please don't die. Please," I begged him.

With the little strength he had left, he squeezed my leg again. This time when I met his eyes, they still held the same emotions, but now there was a different one. It overwhelmed all of the others so much that there was no way I'd miss it. It held pleading.

It took me a few seconds before I realized what he was trying to convey to me. He meant Madge.

"I'll take care of her. I promise," I choked.

Then his eyes changed to reflect different emotions, rather than pain, fear, and sorrow. Now they held relieve, gratitude, and acceptance. With a small final sigh, his hand relaxed its grip and slid down my leg to rest beside him as he felt he could finally let go.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Noooo! Sad face :(

I'm sure some of you figured out what would happen, and I'm sorry to those who didn't. I did give a hint that this would be kind of sad with the Hurt/Comfort genre. Please don't hate me. I've really come to like Milo, but I planned this to happen with the story so there wasn't much I could do. But believe me, happiness shall come and Milo is content and in a better place.

Please stick with this story. The next 2 or 3 chapters will be kind of sad, but things will get better and happier. I plan for Gadge to go through some struggles, but I also plan for love, fluff, and lots of good feelings in this story. So please don't give up with the next few chapters.

Thanks so much for reading! Please leave a review about anything! All reviews are read and inspire me to write more. Sending love to you all!

Read and Review


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Sorry I said I'd upload this earlier, but I really had a hard time with the last part of this. I wasn't sure how I wanted it to go. Hopefully it's not too bad. I was going to combine this chapter and the last together, but it seemed too much all at once. Next chapter will be Madge's POV.

* * *

Gale's POV

Chapter 4

As I arrived at the front of Madge's home, I felt my stomach twist in knots, forming more tangles then there already was. Time felt like it was both standing still and flying by as I climbed the stairs to her porch with heavy, weighted feet. Each step felt harder and harder to take, as if I was climbing a mountain. By the time I arrived before the blue front door, I felt winded. Somehow the entry suddenly seemed intimidatingly large.

This was something I didn't want to tell Madge. This was something I didn't want to tell _anyone_. This was something you _shouldn't have_ to tell anyone.

However, it had to be done. And I knew that I wanted to be the one to tell her, before the Casualty Notification Officers got there. It was only right that she heard it from me first.

On the train ride back, I practiced all different ways of telling her, but none of them seemed right.

Then again, it wasn't right that we had to tell her that her husband died. It wasn't right that he had to die.

Out of everyone there, he was the only one to receive a fatal wound. I'm sure there were worse people there who deserved it than Milo. Heck, I'm worse than Milo. I deserved it more than him.

It could have been anyone. It should have been me. But it had to be him.

Finally I got up the courage to knock on the door. Each time my fist hit against the hard wood the echo sounded louder and hollower than the last. On my second attempt I saw her approach through the little accent windows surrounding the door. Though blurred, it looked like she was wearing one of her favorite blue dresses. Now there was a pit forming in my stomach.

She swung open the door with more enthusiasm than I'd ever seen her express. Her eyes were shining bright blue with happiness and only seemed to glow brighter at the sight of me. The pit grew larger.

"Gale! You're back! And so soon! Come in, come in!" Her voice was laced with excitement as she gestured for me to enter the house. I lifted my leg mechanically and followed her through the threshold.

Madge didn't seem to notice my awkwardness as she closed the door and proceeded to talk quickly. With each word, she seemed to get more and more excited, making me feel more and more terrible.

"I have to so much to tell you. I'm so glad you're back. Is Milo coming? Where is he? Ugh! I can't wait, I have to tell someone! Gale I-" She stopped as she finally noticed my unusual behavior. Not that I'd get all excited and bounce around like her, but I'd at least show some interest.

"Gale. What's wrong?" She asked seriously.

I didn't know what to say. All the time that I had spent on the train, thinking of a way to tell her, to break the horrible news, now seemed completely useless. No matter what I did or said, nothing would make the situation better. Nothing. No matter what, it would break her heart.

Slowly, in a grave, almost whispered voice, she spoke cautiously. "Gale. Where's Milo?"

It seemed that I didn't have to say anything. Because as I finally lifted my gaze to meet hers, I could tell Madge knew.

"Oh god. Oh god, no. Please. Please. No!" She cried. With each word she backed up and curled into herself, until she was up against the wall near the stairs. It was like she wanted to completely seep into the wall and disappear.

She started to sob as tears poured down her face. At her tears, I felt my heart shatter already more than it already was. I felt the urge to pull her into my arms and let out a few tears along with her, but now was not the time.

"Madge-" I went to comfort her, when knocking came at the door.

I peeked around the side windows to see men in their military uniform. The Casualty Notification Officers had arrived earlier than I thought. Shit.

I quickly turned back to Madge and lightly grabbed her by the shoulders, "Madge. I need you to look at me. The Casualty Notification Officers are at the door. They're here to inform you about what happened. Madge, I'm so, so sorry. I wanted to talk to you and tell you everything, but I didn't realize they'd be here so soon. You have to talk to them. They'll tell you what's required and what you will need to do. Do you understand?"

Her blue eyes that were so bright earlier were now dulled with sadness. Her tears had already started to dry at the mention of company and they were completely gone by the time I was finished. She straightened up slowly and wiped at her cheeks and eyes like that would get rid of the redness, but it didn't help much.

A second knocking came as she fixed her dress and patted at her hair. It was then that I realized that she was in her prim-and-proper, mayor's daughter mode. She did this on occasion, when she felt the need to pretend to be happy and polite when really she felt anything but.

"Madge, you don't have to pretend," I whispered.

Not even bothering to look at me, she cleared her throat softly before saying, "I don't know what you mean, Gale. Can you please answer the door for me and show our guests to the living room, while I make some tea?"

"Madge!" I hissed, trying to get her to look at me, but she ignored me and headed to the kitchen instead.

I went to follow her, when there was another knock at the door. It made me growl in frustration.

I wasn't sure how to deal with this. I didn't know if I should make Madge stop or let her be. However, I eventually decided to listen to Madge and answered the door.

Opening the door, I glared at the men in irritation, focusing my frustration on them. I'd never seen these soldiers before and I don't think they have seen me either because they were slightly dumbfounded by my presence. When they went to speak, they both immediately shut their mouths and stared at me with wide eyes, once they recognized who I was.

I really didn't feel like dealing with them right now and their dumb faces, so I cleared my throat to bring back their attention.

One recovered more quickly than the other and saluted before speaking, "General Hawthorne, sir! It's an honor to meet you- see you, sir."

"Likewise," I said callously. "Relax soldier. I believe you have a job to do?"

The other finally recovered and straightened himself to match his twin. "Yes, sir. Is Mrs. Madge Maysilee Bana here?"

I released a heavy sigh and said, "Yes. She's inside. She said to invite you into the living room while she makes some tea. Come in. It's right on your left."

The men nodded as they came inside, walking stiffly to the living room. I followed behind them, slightly dragging my feet. The twins, I'd decided to call them, stood in front of the love seat facing the kitchen while I stood across from them in front of the longer couch.

I went to invite them to sit when Madge stuck her head out of the archway of the kitchen. "Please take a seat. I will be with you in just a moment, gentlemen."

I kept my eyes on the officers as they exchanged questioning looks and slowly took a seat. I'm sure that they were not used to this routine. They probably informed the family of the deceased and dealt with the family's emotional reaction, before the sitting down and "having tea." But then again, this might have made things easier on them. Although, it definitely did not on Madge.

She came in a few awkwardly silent minutes later with a tray full of all of the things that you could ever need for tea. Sugar, milk, honey, and lemon were just the additions along with a small plate of pastries for the tea. Preparing the tea must have given her enough time to erase all evidence of sadness from her face because there wasn't even a hint of her tears from before.

The men shot up from their seats as she set the tray down and said, "Sorry for the wait. Here is some tea, if you would like. Please help yourselves."

"Um… thank you," one of the twins said with a hint of confusion, clearly not used to her reaction to them. Remembering what he was here for, he completely became professional as he gestured for Madge to take a seat. "Perhaps we'll have some later. Mrs. Madge Maysilee Bana, I am Officer Raff Cronin and this is Officer Wade Duncain, we have come to inform you…"

As the men spoke, Madge sat down on the couch with me. It took me slightly by surprise because I thought she was going to sit down in the single wing chair. However, I wasn't going to question it. I then went to slide over to give her room, when she sat flush against me, our legs touching. That really surprised me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her pretend to listen attentively to what they were saying. From an outsiders point of view she might have looked like she was sad, but still calmly listening to what they had to say. However, being an insider, I could tell she was really freaking out on the inside.

Her eyes were staring ahead, as if looking at the officers in front of her, but they never blinked. They just stayed forward without actually seeing anything. She also couldn't sit still. Masked by the coffee table, her leg on the opposite side of me kept jiggling up and down rhythmically, to a beat I couldn't figure out.

I then allowed my gaze to wander to her hands as they laid calmly in her lap. I watched as every now and then, she'd pick at the skin around her nails, a nervous habit of hers that she picked up after being imprisoned by the Capitol. When I remembered her hands being completely flawless for her piano playing at District 12, I confronted her about it and she explained it was a way for her to remember she's alive. Now, however, her fingers held mini scabs from picking her skin to the point of bleeding.

To make her stop, I grabbed her hand like always, but this time I linked it with mine. She didn't bat an eye when I did it, which worried me, but I was reassured when she squeezed my hand back and didn't let go. At my touch, she stopped shaking her leg and leaned some of her weight into me, finally allowing herself to relaxing just a bit.

That's when I realized why she sat so close to me. She wanted to be touched. She wanted some sort of connection. She wanted to be reassured that she wasn't alone. She wanted support.

So, I adhered without any restraint. I let go of her hand, making her stiffen from the loss of contact, but I quickly grabbed it with my other hand. I then put my free hand on the small of her back so that she was free to lean into me and allow me to completely support her.

She too didn't hold back as she rested her head against my neck and shoulder to lean fully on me. Now it was my turn to take over and support her. She didn't have to try so hard anymore.

I really paid attention to everything that they were saying so that if she didn't get all of the information I would have it for her. They spoke a little bit on what happened, though gave very vague details. It annoyed me that they couldn't tell people exactly what happened to their loved ones. There wasn't anything to hide. I would tell Madge exactly what happened when they were gone.

Something that annoyed me from the twins was their rehearsed script and bullshit comforting lines. They repeated over and over how noble he was that he fought for our country; how honorable it was that he died for a good cause; and how he was a hero for his service. All of which Madge knew. But that didn't make it any better.

Was his life really worth the future of this country? Was Finnick's? Was Prim's? Was anyone's? Even though I did believe that we were better off than before and that we were doing something good, it was hard to believe that all of the death and destruction that has happened was necessary to get to where we were. Not that where we were was the most wonderful place in the world either. It seemed only the good died and the rest of us were left to suffer.

The twins continued, speaking of military protocol, the funeral plannings and proceedings, and the afterwards, all one after the other. They gave really no time to process it all. There was a lot to take in. I was feeling overwhelmed, and I'm sure if I was, Madge was even more.

Luckily, before they left, they gave her a letter with some information on it and their contact information in case there was anything she needed in particular in regards to the funeral or if she had any questions. They really did seem to know their jobs, which was good for us. I'm pretty sure that she and I would both have questions within the next few hours. However, now was not the time for that.

We both went up to show the twins to the door, but Madge told me to stay put because she would do it. From the couch, I watched them say their goodbyes and Madge shut the door. She stood there for a second, staring at the door knob, and I could almost see her facade lift off of her as if it were a sheet covering her body. When she turned to me, her eyes were watery and oh so blue.

"Madge," I said, going to get up.

However, she made it over to me in a flash as she dashed into my arms and started crying uncontrollably. I held her close and rocked her back and forth like I did to Posy when she was younger, hoping it would sooth her like it did with my little sister.

Madge's sobs and gasps were different though. They were earth-shatteringly heartbreaking. Madge would cry on occasion, usually at an emotional moment in a book or at a situation that was frustrating, but it wasn't so long and heartfelt like it was now.

I wondered if this was how my mother reacted when she found out Dad had died. She must have been absolutely devastated and felt completely alone since her and Pa's parents died a long time ago. Madge was in the same situation, her and Milo having no family alive. I hoped Ma had someone to lean on and support her when she needed, like I was hopefully doing for Madge. I'd have to ask her next time I talked to her.

When Madge seemed to have calmed down, I pulled her away from my chest to look at her face. Her cheeks were completely red from the crying, along with her eyes and nose. Tear streaks looked burned into her skin and her nose was starting to run. Her lips were quivering as she tried to catch her breath. Although she was a complete mess, I thought she looked absolutely beautiful.

She must have realized that I was looking at her because she started to pull away. That was when I held her face in my hands and admonished softly, "Hey."

She kept her eyes shut so she couldn't look at me, but didn't continue to pull away, which was a good sign in my book. I then used my calloused thumbs to wipe away the wetness from her soft cheeks. I tried to do it gently so I wouldn't hurt her, our skin textures being so opposite. However, she gave no sign of discomfort, only acceptance of the contact.

My next focus was on her wet nose. She clearly needed to blow it, or at least wipe it. As I went to lean over for a napkin from her tea palate, her hands gripped the sides of my uniform to stop me.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just grabbing a napkin for your nose," I said. Her hands stayed balled in the fabric as she nodded in acceptance. I kept a hand on her back to support her as I grabbed a napkin with yellow flowers on it. "Here."

"Thanks," she whispered before she took no shame and blew her nose like a trumpet.

As she continued to wipe her nose, I ran my fingers through her hair, trying to fix it the best that I could without a brush. There were only a few tangles, which I quickly got out, and the rest of the time I just ran my fingers through her tresses. I hoped it was having a soothing effect on her. I know it was working for me.

Madge stayed silent for a little bit before speaking hoarsely, "Gale?"

"Yes?"

"I-," she cracked and then stopped. Tears started to accumulate in her eyes as she cleared her throat. "I'm p-pregnant," she sobbed, starting to cry all over again.

My heart sank completely into the pit in my stomach.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh so sad, and her pregnancy is revealed! Wha?! Jk, I'm sure you weren't surprised at all. lol

One or two more chapters of sadness, before Gadge fluff arrives so please be patient. You can't expect someone to get over the loss of a loved one too quickly, so there will be sadness throughout the story. However, there will be lots of love and happiness too. What is life without it's struggles and triumphs? Or whatever the saying is.

I hope you enjoy this story and keep reading! Thanks so much!

Reviews are appreciated!


End file.
